Presser-foot mechanism for shoe-sewing machines.



W. C. MEYER.

PRESSER FOOT MECHANISM FOR SHOE SEWING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 28. IBIS.

1 299,405. Patented Apr. 1, 1919.4

3 SHEETS*SHEET I.

w. c. MEYER. -PRE SSER FOOT MECHANISM FOR SHOE SEWING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB- 28.1916.

Patented Apr. 1,1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET Z.

w. c MEYER.-

PRESSEH FOOT MECHANISM FOR SHOE SEWING MACHINES.

APPLlCATiON FILED FEB- 28.1916.

Patented Apr. 1, 1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

r'rnu'r orrrcn.

WIIIIJIIIAM G. MEYER, 0F BEVERLY, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, 7'0 UNITED SHOE MACHINERY CORPORATION, OF PALEBSON, NEW JERSEY,

.A. CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY;

Specification of Letters Patent.

' PRESSER-FOOT MECHANISM FOR SHOE-SEWING MACHINES.

' Patented Apr. 1, 1919.

Original application filed July 29, 1913, Serial No. 781,785. Divided and this application filed February 28, 1916. Serial No. 80,910.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM CI ME'YER,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Beverly, in the county of Essex and Commachines of the McKay type.- 20

Machines of this type of the usual construction comprise a vertical fixed worksupporting horn and a presser-foot which is lifted automatically a substantially uniform distance from the work during each cycle of operations, regardless of the thickness of the work. The work-engaging position of the presser-foot in such machine varies with the thickness of the work, and the presserfoot actuating mechanism is especially constructed to produce substantially the same upward movement of the presser-foot what ever may be its vertical worlrengaging position as determined by the thickness of the work.

The primary objects of the present invention are to produce an improved presserfoot mechanism for shoesewing machines of the McKay type, which is simple in construction, which will produce the required uniform upward movements of the presserfoot in a reliable manner, and is not liable to get out of order or to IGqU'l IO frequent ad'- just-ment as the parts become worn by use.

With these objects in view the invention contemplates the provision of an improved friction. clamp, constituting a-variablecol'inection between the presser-foot actuating member and the presser-foot, and-improved mechanism for locking and unlocking the Patent N 0. 1,177,581, dated March 28, 1916, was granted.

The invention will be readily understood from the accompanying drawings illustrating a machine embodying the invention v 'in its preferred form, and from the following detailed description of the construction therein shown.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a view in front elevation, partly in section, of the head of the machine; Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation, looking fromthe right, illustratmg all except the rear portion of the head of the machine; Fig. 3 is a transverse sec tional view showing the presser foot lifting mechanism; and Fig. 4 is a detail view, partly in section, illustrating particularly the variable clamp connection forming part of the presser-foot lifting mechanism.

The machine illustrated in the drawings comprises the usual vertically reciprocating straight hook needle indicated at 2, which during each cycle of-operations is projected through the work into position to receive the thread from a looping device located in the tip of the horn. The cast-off for preventing the previously'formed loop from catching in horn 6, which in the present embodiment of the invention is vertically fixed, but is arranged to rotate in the usual manner. The work is fed at intervals during the operation of the machine by the feed point 8, which is projected into the work and is then advanced in the direction of the seam to feed the work.

The parts briefly referred to above have the same construction, arrangement and mode of operation as fully described in original application Serial No. 781,785, and need not be further described in this application. Th work is engaged between the upper surface of the tip of the horn and resser-foot 10 which is arranged for vertical n'lovemen't to accommodate work of varying thlr'messes.

The presser-foot 10 is secured to the lower I end of'a bar 12 which is mounted to slide vertically in suitable guides in the frame.

The lower portion of the presser-foot bar slides in a guide in the forwardly projecting portion 14 of the frame-f the machine, and the upper portion of the 'bar isrreduced to form; a -cylindrical,extension or rod 14? which is arranged to slide in a sleeve 16 secured. in an upwardly and forwardly extending bracket 18 on the frame. The presser- "foot is held down on the work by a heavy eoiled sprin'g 2Q which surrounds the upper cylindrical portion of the resser-foot bar, and engages at its lower extremity a shoulderon said bar,' and at its upper extremity the lower end of the sleeve 16. The down-' ward movement of the resser-foot under the action of the spring 20, when no work is in the machine, is limited by the engagement ofanut 22 threaded upon the upper end vof the resser-foot bar with the upper end of thesleeve 16. I By adjusting the nut 22 on the resser-bar, the vertical position of the Presser-foot when no work is lnthe machine, and the tension of the spring 20, may be varied. The sleeve 16 is threaded into the bracket 185 and may be adjusted vertically to vary the vertical positionof the presserfoot when no work is in the machine without varying the tension of thespring The sleeve 16-is held in adjusted position by a.

lock nut 26. By suitable adjustments of the nut '22'and the sleeve 16, the lower limiting position of the presser-foot may be changed,- and the tension of the spring may be adjusted as required by the character of the work which is being operated upon.

As is usual in machines of this type. the presser-foot is lifted during each cycle of operations to free the work from engagement with the upper surface of the horn and permit the work to be fed. It s evident that the vertical position of the presserfoot' when in engagement with the work varies with the thickness of the work, and inorder that -.the'presser-foot may be lifted from the work' substantially the same distance in each cycle of operations, re'gardless of its vertlcalpo'sition when in engagement with the work, a

variable friction clamp connection is provided in the resser-foot liftmg mechanism,

the relative positions of the parts of which vare determined when the Presser-foot is down in engagement with the work, and

which is locked during the lifting action of said mechanism. In the construction illus- -trated, the mechanism for lifting the Presser foot comprises an arm: 28 secured to a the arm 34, an are lnt erfitted betweenthe friction leaves 38; The ends ofthe friction plates 40 are pivotally connected with a lever 42 which is loosely mountedlo'n the shaft 30, and carries acam roll H which engages a cam groove 46 in the cam disk 48 mounted on the main shaft 50 of the machine. In order to clamp thefriction plates 40 to the arm'3i so that they cannot move through said arm when thelever 42 is actuated, a

slide through 0 enings in the outer end of I lever 52 is pivoted upon a-transverse stud 5t carried by the arm 34:, and is provided with a recess adjacent the end of its shorter arm in which engages a' projection on theclamping plate 56 which fits in the pocket 36 and I engages the face of one of the plates 40. The

lever 52 is actuated to force the clamping,

plate 56 inwardly in the pocket and clamp thelfriction plates 40 to the arm 34 by means of a coiledspring 58 (see Fig. 4) seated at one end in a recess or bore in the end of the shaft 30,. and at the otherin a recess in theend-of the long armof the lever 52.

During each cyclev of operations, and

while the presser-foot is lifted, the lever 52 is actuated to relievethe pressureupon the outer friction plate 40, therebyv unlocking- 'the clamp andpermitting the prcsser-foot to be forceddown on the work by the coiled spring .20. The unlocking of the clamp permits thefriction plates-40 to automatically adjustrthem'selves inthe outer end of the arm 34; accordance with changes in thevertical position of the presser-foot due to .variations".in'the' thickness of the work.

Before'the resser-footqis lifted, the clamp is again be d-to connect the ca'm-actuated lever rigidly with the arm 34 toenable said lever to 7 lift the resser-feet. In the present invention, the lever 52 is actuated v positively to unlock the..clamp. j In the construction illustrated, the endrof the longer arm'of the lever 52 isrecessed toreceive one extremity ofa strut 60, the other end of which strut is received 'in a similar recess in the-end of d."sc'rew: 62 threaded into an arm 64i of. a;lev er pivoted ona stud 66. Sa1dfleve'n-1s providedwith a second arm 68 which; carries a cam roll 70 which opcrates in a-c'am groove 72 in a cam disk 74:

secured to the main shaft 50 of the maactuating the lever 52 to lock the clamp insures the actuation of said lever sufficiently to lock the clamp at'a'll times when the lever is free to move under the action of the spring, and no readjustment of the parts is necessary even when they have become worn by'us'e. The screw 62 is adjusted so that the lever 52 is actuated to anex-tentsome- 'what greater than that required to unlock the clamp, thereby eliminating the necessity of frequent read ustments to compensatefor wear on the parts. The provision chine. The provision of the spring 5.8 for of the series of friction leaves and an interiitting series of friction plates for the clamp, furnishes a large extent of engaging friction surfaces, and enables the clamp to be iocked securely with a comparatively light pressure upon the lever 52.

As shown in Fig. 4, the hub of the lever 42 confined between the arm 34 and an adjacent portion of the frame which forms a bearing for the shaft .30. To take up wear and prevent lateral play of said lever on the shaft, the lever is provided with a bearing sleeve 76 threaded into thehub of the lever, which may be adjusted when the parts become Worn.

In order to enable the operator to lift the Presser-foot so that the finished work can be removed, and another piece of Work inserted in the machine, or so thatthe Work being operated upon can be adjusted, a lever 78 is pivoted upon a stud 80, and car ries a roll 82 at its extremity'whinh engages beneath a projectionS on me arm 34. The other extremity of said leveris connected by means of a treadle rod 86 with a lever located in the base of the machine which is operated from a treadle (not shown).

Having explained the nature and object of the invention, and specifically described one form of machine in which it may be embodied, whatis claimed is:

l. A sewing machine, having, in combiintion, a needle, mechanism-for actuating the needle, a work support, a resser-foot, means for lifting the presser-foot during each cycle 'of operations comprising a variable friction clamp connection, a spring for locking the parts of said clamp, and means for unlock ing the parts of said clamp to permit a. relative adjustment of the parts thereof.

2. A sewing machine, having, in combination, a needle, mechanism for actuating the needle, a work'support, a resser-foot, mechanism for lifting the pressenfoot during each cycle of operations, comprising an actuating member, a member through which the presser-foot is actuated from said first menibeiga variable friction "clamp connectionbetween-said members, said clamp 1ncludinga. series of friction leaves connected With one of said members, a series of friction plates interfitting with and arranged to slide between said friction leaves and connected with the other of said members,a spring for clamping said friction plates between sa1d leaves, and means for releasing said leaves and plates from clamping enparts of said connection and means for unlocking the parts of said connection during each cycle of operations.

4-. A sewing machine, having, in combination, a. needle, mechanism foractuating the needle,a work support, a presser foot, means for lifting the presserfoot during each cycle of operations comprising a variable connection, a spring for locking the parts of said connection and means for unlocking the parts of said connection While the presser foot is lifted to allow the resser foot to be depressed into engagement with the work.

. wILmAi i cJMEYER. 

